The United States is preparing to seize additional oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela as part of an expanding effort to disrupt the country’s sanctions-evading crude trade. Administration officials have described a shift toward more assertive maritime interdictions aimed at tightening pressure on Venezuela’s oil sector.
U.S. authorities have already identified multiple vessels that could face seizure following this week’s helicopter boarding and capture of the tanker Skipper in international waters. Defense officials noted the operation was coordinated after “weeks of joint intelligence review.”
The initiative reflects a broader strategy to target illicit crude flows, with federal agencies viewing the Skipper case as a template for additional actions. These could include intercepting tankers before they reach offshore buyers.
The seizure involved U.S. Coast Guard and Navy personnel who acted after intelligence indicated the ship transported sanctioned Venezuelan and Iranian crude. The vessel had been tracked for weeks due to its involvement in Iran-Venezuela oil exchanges.
President Donald Trump confirmed the operation at the White House, stating the tanker was “illegally moving oil tied to sanctioned networks.” He praised U.S. forces for completing the mission “perfectly” and emphasized the ship’s long-standing scrutiny over suspected violations.
U.S. officials believe Venezuela has expanded its use of a “shadow fleet” of tankers operating under opaque registries and shell companies to bypass sanctions. They report that dozens of such vessels now routinely disable transponders to avoid tracking.
The increased focus on Venezuelan tankers coincides with broader U.S. military and law enforcement activity across the Caribbean basin, which officials describe as necessary steps to counter narcotics trafficking into the United States. However, critics warn that the move carries overtones of U.S. imperialism and could be interpreted as a regime-change strategy cloaked in anti-drug enforcement rhetoric.
Venezuelan authorities have condemned the seizure as “piracy,” accusing the United States of violating international maritime norms. The Maduro government claims the tanker departed Venezuelan waters legally and states Washington is attempting to suffocate an economy heavily reliant on crude exports.
When asked about the crude aboard the Skipper, Trump remarked, “We’ll keep it, I guess,” underscoring U.S. willingness to confiscate cargo linked to sanctioned shipments. Outlets report that the Skipper’s captain, an Iranian national, has been taken into U.S. custody and is expected to face sanctions-related charges.
